Community's health offers a strong driver of economic development

Thursday

Nov 15, 2012 at 12:01 AM

There was a time in the not too distant past when the economic outlook in Davidson County was bright. Lexington Furniture Industries hummed with activity, providing jobs to over 6,000 in Lexington alone. Times were good. The unemployment rate was 3 percent. Everyone who wanted a job could find one.

Steve Snelgrove

There was a time in the not too distant past when the economic outlook in Davidson County was bright. Lexington Furniture Industries hummed with activity, providing jobs to over 6,000 in Lexington alone. Times were good. The unemployment rate was 3 percent. Everyone who wanted a job could find one.Fifteen years later, it's a different story. Davidson County's key industry — manufacturing — is all but nonexistent. Jobs are harder to come by and require much more than a minimal education. The county's unemployment rate is 9.6 percent, the first time it has dipped below 10 percent since 2008 — and the number of uninsured and under insured is growing, which strains local health care and social services resources.There are many drivers that influence economic development. It's a "competitive soup" comprised of a mixture of quality of life issues, a well-trained, well-educated workforce and a sound infrastructure that guide an industry's decision on whether or not to locate here. But there is another essential ingredient to the "competitive soup" that most who live here give little consideration. Industry not only seeks a well-educated workforce, it demands a healthy workforce.While Davidson County is rich in many amenities that make it attractive in the highly competitive economic development environment, it is lacking in its ability to offer a healthy work force. It holds the unflattering distinction as the 65th fattest county in North Carolina, according to "County Health Rankings." A staggering two-thirds of the county's residents are classified as overweight or obese, and this estimate is expected to grow in the coming months and years if we remain on the same path. So what does obesity have to do with economic development? With obesity comes a myriad of health problems including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even cancer — findings that are all too apparent in the recently completed Community Health Assessment. When companies consider relocating, they evaluate the "job readiness" of the local work force. Obesity equates to lost productivity and soaring health care costs — both of which mean negative returns for any prospective industry.To be blunt, obesity is one of the leading causes of chronic illness and preventable death. This is reinforced by data collected by the N.C. Department of Vital Statistics, which shows cancer, diabetes and heart disease near the top of the list of causes of death in Davidson County — but it doesn't stop there. Davidson County has severe gaps in available mental health services, a high rate of tobacco, alcohol and drug use, and a need for more primary care physicians.If we are to recruit industry and guide this county toward a strong economic future, we as a community must collectively address these health concerns. As taxpayers, we are all in the business of public health whether we like it or not. In order to do this, we must unite all health care and human services agencies — for-profit, nonprofit and governmental — to find workable solutions to fill the gaps in a fragmented and unaffordable healthcare system. Unfortunately, the current arena provides no formal mechanism through which all the involved parties can regularly communicate. Each operates in its own cocoon or silo so to speak, conducting its daily business independently and autonomously. No forum exists that enables local leaders of business, health care and human services enterprises to come together to conduct ongoing analysis of pressing health issues and strategize about ways to collectively address them.To be truly successful in improving the health of Davidson County, we must change the mind-set that you only go to the doctor or hospital when you get sick. We must instead unite all organizations involved in wellness and health care to develop a community approach that improves the health status of those who live here. We must find workable solutions to help the local population overcome obstacles that lead to less than healthy lifestyles.There are no easy answers or quick fixes. As we move forward, I leave you with these serious questions to ponder.Is the community ready to recognize the impact of Davidson County's poor health status? Does it have the will to deal with it? And if so, who will lead the charge?Steve Snelgrove is president of Wake Forest Baptist Health — Lexington Medical Center and has over 30 years of progressive health system management experience.

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